NELSON WINE REGION

NELSON WINERIES STEP UP

Nelson | Feature Sunny Nelson at the top of the South Island flies somewhat under the radar compared to Marlborough, its massive neighbour over the hill to the east. Nevertheless Nelson has many vinous delights,

Charmian Smith

discovers.

North-facing slopes of the

Moutere Hills are prime vineyard land, famous for their fine chardonnay. Nelson may not have the clout of Marlborough, but it’s not lacking in fine wine with an international reputation. Neudorf, established by Tim and Judy Finn in the 1970s on the clay soils of the Upper Moutere, ranks as one of New Zealand’s most acclaimed producers particularly for its chardonnay and pinot noir. Others have a history of producing fine wine, including Greenhough, tucked away near Hope, whose chardonnay is well worth seeking out.

While some of the older family vineyards have closed, a new generation of small vineyards is emerging, established by people who, after international business careers, decided to return or emigrate to New Zealand and grow wine. Couples like Patricia and Stuart Anderson of Flaxmore, Amber Robertson and Paul Miles

of Riwaka River Estate, and Achim Bauer and Karin Schoch of Kina Beach Vineyard have done their research thoroughly, are happy to get their hands dirty in the soil, have marketing and business skills and aim to produce fine wine working alongside their contract winemakers.

A common theme to their stories is that they searched the world for the perfect spot for growing grapes and making wine, but surely the beauty of the area and its sunny reputation also had something to do with it.

Nelson is known for apples - in fact, the region’s first modern winemaker, Austrian Hermann Seifried, was brought to New Zealand to make apple wine!

However, he and his New Zealand wife Agnes soon planted grapes and over the past 50 years Seifried Estate has become the region’s largest wine producer.

There’s always been a European influence here, right from the earliest days when a group of Germans settled in the Upper Moutere, originally known as Sarau - there’s still a Lutheran church operating in the village and the pub, founded in 1850 is said to be the oldest in New Zealand.

Beth Eggers of Himmelsfeld, a descendant of one of the early settlers, the Seifrieds, of course, but also David and Ursula Schwarzenbach of who established Blackenbrook some 20 years ago, and newcomers Achim Bauer and Karin Schoch of Kina Beach.

Nelson is known for its aromatic wines. Riesling is a star everywhere, pinot gris is fragrant and the occasional gewürztraminer is well worth seeking out. Waiting in the wings, as elsewhere in New Zealand, is albarino. Nelson examples are delicious, from fresh, crisp styles to more serious, textural wines.

Chardonnay, of course, is a star especially in the Moutere Hills. Nelson sauvignon blanc is more fragrant and generally less aggressive than the Marlboroughgrown version but nevertheless, sauvignon blanc from the Waimea Plains attracts Marlborough producers looking for extra grapes.

Pinot noir can be good, but I also

2

1. The Mt Arthur Range shelters the Nelson Tasman vineyards from the west. 2. A magnificent view across vineyards to Tasman Bay from Gravity cellar door.

tasted a few edgy ones that might have benefitted from riper fruit. A few brave souls grow other reds - cabernet franc, syrah, even merlot and cabernet sauvignon, with variable outcomes from delicious to ones that might have been better made into rosé.

I was struck by Middle Earth’s dense, velvety petit verdot 2020, the only vintage that managed to ripen in the all years it had been planted, according to winemaker Trudy Sheild, and it has now been pulled out. She has also made a silky red pinot meunier hinting of redcurrants with a tight finish. It’s usually a component of methode traditionelle.

Some winemakers age their wines before sale so they drink well on release, most for a year or three, but Himmelsfeld glories in 10 or 15 year old wines.

The Nelson Tasman vineyard region falls naturally into three areas based on the soils: the heavier clays of the Moutere Hills; the loamy, more vigorous soils of the coastal areas; and the stony, free draining soils of the Waimea plains close to Richmond, which are not unlike Marlborough’s Wairau valley soils.

However, Nelson is more humid and has a higher rainfall than Marlborough, according to Blair Gibbs of Middle Earth Wines who has spent much of his winemaking career in Marlborough.

The water table, especially on the plains, can be quite high and many of the Nelson vineyards are dry farmed.

Because the water in Tasman Bay reaches 22-23degC in summer, there is not much diurnal temperature variation, he said.

When I visited the Nelson cellar doors last summer I was disappointed to see that several had closed since my last visit, some no doubt due to Covid, although they may still sell their wine on line.

However, many were open including some winery restaurants, notably the highly recommended Forster’s at Moutere Hills in Sunrise Valley. Harvest Kitchen at Seifried is family-friendly with a menu that ranges from platters and burgers to main dishes. North Eatery at Heaphy

4

6

8 7

3. Neudorf’s mud brick barrel store.

4. Cyclists on the Great Taste trail

catch the ferry from Rabbit Island to Mapua Wharf. 5. Many cellar

doors are accessible by bike

along the Nelson Tasman Great Taste cycle trail. 6. A massive sculpture at the entrance greets visitors to Gravity. 7. Sculptures adorn many vineyards. This is at Dunbar Estate. 8. Summer lunch in Forsters’ shady courtyard overlooking the vineyard. does rather good sourdough pizzas and Rimu’s wine bar at Mapua Wharf also offers pizzas and platters as well as an extensive wine list of Nelson and other wines.

The busy wharf attracts many visitors to its eateries and boutiques. Jellyfish and Apple Shed do rather more stylish meals and the best coffee is said to be at Alberta’s which is also famous for its pastries.

With its fertile soils, famous sunshine and adequate rain, Nelson Tasman grows many crops besides wine grapes. Around Motueka hops are a speciality. It’s no wonder the area is awash with craft breweries - every pub offers a local craft beer brewed on site or a few kilometres away. In fact I suspect Nelson may almost have more craft breweries than wineries!

Former tobacco fields and sheds may have been repurposed but apples are still a major crop. Drive down any back road in summer or autumn and you’ll pass stalls selling berries, cherries, stone and pip fruit, vegetables, eggs, olive oil - even kiwifruit, feijoas and avocados!

Nelson is also an important fishing port, and for fresh fish you can’t beat Guyton’s with stores on the Nelson waterfront next to its factory, and in the Richmond Mall next door to the highly recommend Rodrigos Sourdough Bakery, and on its other side, the best retail selection of Nelson wines at Fresh Choice.

The compact Nelson Farmers Market is in the city on Wednesday mornings, but on Saturdays, and in Motueka on Sundays, there are general markets which include some local produce.

Nelson Tasman Great Taste cycle trail winds its way from the centre of the city along the shoreline to Richmond and on to Rabbit Island where you can catch the ferry across the inlet to Mapua wharf.

The trail continues to Motueka and Kaiteriteri then along the inland route, some of it beside or on a road, to a tunnel near Wakefield and back to Richmond. Everywhere there are detours to various cellar doors, breweries and other eateries.